Degrees of comparison — how to compare adjectives in English?

When describing a person or an object, we typically use adjectives to convey different qualities. These qualities are often compared, as people usually want to choose the best option. This can become tricky, especially when comparing things in English.

It's high time to understand the rules for using degrees of comparison of adjectives in English that can help you avoid confusion with those various endings!

Contents

1. What is an adjective and why do we need to compare it
2. General rules for forming degrees of comparison in English
    2.1. One-syllable and two-syllable adjectives and their spelling
    2.2. Three or more syllables
    2.3. Nuances of forming degrees of comparison for two-syllable adjectives
3. Exceptions to the rules for forming degrees of comparison of adjectives in English
4. Additional comparison constructions
5. Gradable and non-gradable
6. Typical mistakes
7. Summary of comparative degrees of adjectives in English and exceptions to the rules
8. FAQ

What is an adjective and why do we need to compare it
 

An adjective is a part of speech that answers the questions "which?", "what kind of?". It is used to describe various qualities or characteristics of nouns. These words make our language more vivid, and they can also be compared! For example, we can determine whether your cat is fluffier than the neighbor’s one. These rules help us understand each other better and explain our thoughts more precisely.

General rules for forming degrees of comparison in English
 

In English, there are generally two degrees of comparison for adjectives:

• comparative; 
• superlative.

These forms can be formed either by adding suffixes or by using special words. The method to use depends on the adjective itself. For one-syllable and two-syllable adjectives, the first method is appropriate – adding suffixes. The second method (using special words) is used for adjectives with more than two syllables.

One-syllable and two-syllable adjectives and their spelling
 

When forming the comparative form of a one-syllable or two-syllable adjective, add the suffix -er. For the superlative form, add the suffix -est along with the definite article the.

 

It's important to note that some adjectives have their endings added according to general spelling rules. Therefore, it's worth examining specific cases of forming degrees of comparison in English.

1. If a one-syllable or two-syllable adjective ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant, the final consonant is doubled. This applies to what is known as a closed syllable. For example:

 

So, the last vowel of the word must be surrounded by two consonant sounds. That's why in the word “sweet — sweeter — the sweetest” doubling does not occur because the last vowel of the word is surrounded by a vowel and a consonant sound.

2. If an adjective ends in -e, the -e does not double when adding -er/-est, for example:

 

3. When forming the superlative and comparative degrees of an adjective in English that ends in a consonant followed by -y, the -y should be replaced with -i, for example:

 

Three or more syllables
 

For adjectives with more than two syllables, different rules should be applied. In this case, the structure of the adjective does not need to be changed; simply add the word “more” for the comparative degree and “the most” for the superlative degree. 

 

Nuances of forming degrees of comparison for two-syllable adjectives 
 

All the previous rules can also be applied when forming the degrees of comparison for two-syllable adjectives. They often have double forms, for example:

 

However, two-syllable adjectives that end in -ed, -ing, -ful, or -less always form the comparative degree with “more” and the superlative degree with “the most”.

 

Exceptions to the rules for forming degrees of comparison of adjectives in English
 

Some degrees of comparison of adjectives in English do not follow the standard rules, so they’re exceptions. There aren't many of these exceptions, but they are worth remembering.

 

*The word “far” has dual forms (farther/further) because it can be used in two different meanings.

1. Further / the furthest — in a broader sense (time, future, etc.):

• We need further research. 
• I don’t want to read any further. 

2. Farther / the farthest — in terms of physical distance (km, cm, mm):

• The shop is farther from my house than from your house. 

Additional comparison constructions
 

In addition to the basic rules, there are other grammatical and lexical constructions to express various qualities. It's useful to consider some of the most common ones.

1. The constructions “as…as” and “not as…as” could be used to indicate either similar or different qualities between items. The adjective used in these phrases remains unchanged, using its base form:

• This book is as interesting as that book.
• She is not as tall as you are. 

2. It is also possible to use the article “the” between two comparative forms to show that the change in one quality is related to the change in another:

• The more you study, the easier your exams will be. 

3. Adverbs such as “much”, “a lot”, “far”, “a bit/little”, and “slightly” are often used with the comparative degree to intensify it:

• The elephant is much bigger than a tiger.
• This lesson is slightly more difficult than the previous one. 

4. The adverb “by far” can be used with the superlative degree to emphasize the highest degree of something:

• The cheetah is by far the fastest animal. 

Gradable and non-gradable 
 

Some adjectives cannot be compared; they are exceptions. These are words that are simply non-gradable.

For example, the criteria “length” can be used to illustrate this example. One object can be longer, another shorter, and a third one is the longest among them. In other words, these words are gradable — they can be compared.

But is it possible to do the same with words like “left” or “right”? Probably not. Unless we’re talking about political beliefs, it’s impossible to describe the position of an object using "more right" or "more left". These terms are not comparable.

Adjectives that indicate the highest degree of something are in the same category. For instance, the word “enormous”. Can we say more enormous or the most enormous? Technically, it might seem correct, but as soon as you translate these expressions, it becomes clear. "More enormous" and "most enormous" are impossible expressions in English.

Adjectives indicating a completed state are also non-gradable. For example, the word “dead”. If someone is dead, you cannot say someone else is "deader".

And, of course, We have to mention possessive adjectives (those indicating ownership). For example: her, his, their, Yuliia's, etc. According to the previous example, a car cannot be "more mine" or "less ours". It either belongs to someone or belongs to no one at all.

Typical mistakes
 

1. Often, students use “more” to form the comparative degree, even for one-syllable words. Sometimes, they even combine both forms (more and -er), which is incorrect:

✗ Kyiv is more bigger than Kharkiv.
✓ Kyiv is bigger than Kharkiv.

2. It is also common to see the intensifying adverb “much” used in the same way as “more”. However, they are not interchangeable. Therefore, you cannot use “much” with the base form of the instead of the comparative one:

✗ Lviv is much expensive than Kyiv.
✓ Lviv is much more expensive than Kyiv.

Some students mistakenly think that “much” must always be used with “more”, regardless of the meaning:

✗ The Golden Gate is much more older than Big Ben.
✓ The Golden Gate is much older than Big Ben.

3. Another common mistake is omitting the conjunction “than”:

✗ London is more beautiful Paris.
✓ London is more beautiful than Paris.

Summary of comparative degrees of adjectives in English and exceptions to the rules
 

Understanding the rules for comparing adjectives in English is not just important, but crucial. Adjective formation in English follows a logical set of rules, allowing for the creation of almost any comparative form (except for exceptions).

Only practice will help you master these rules quickly, so try using various forms and types of adjectives, practicing both comparative and superlative degrees.

FAQ 
 

1. How to count syllables?

First, you need to understand what a syllable is. A syllable is a part of a word that contains a vowel sound that is pronounced. For example, in the word “father” there are 2 syllables (fa + ther) because each part contains a vowel that is pronounced. In contrast, in the word “face” there is 1 syllable because the final letter "e" is not pronounced.
 

2. How to determine the degree of comparison for adjectives in English?

Simply count the number of syllables and then apply the appropriate rule. If the word is long (more than two syllables), use “more” and “the most”. If the word is short (one syllable), modify the adjective using the appropriate suffixes (-er, -est).
 

3. Does an adjective always have only one form?

No, not always. This is particularly true for two-syllable adjectives, which often have dual forms. If you are unsure which form to use, refer to dictionaries or other sources to verify the correct form.